German heli-skier dies in avalanche in southeastern B.C., two friends survive

Zoe McKnight, Vancouver Sun02.19.2013

Three skiers visiting from Germany were caught in a deadly avalanche in B.C.’s Purcell Mountain Range Monday, killing a 34-year-old man. Peaks of the Purcells taken from Highway 93, about 55 km west of Invermere.

Three skiers visiting from Germany were caught in a deadly avalanche in B.C.’s interior Monday, killing a 34-year-old man.

Columbia Valley RCMP said the incident occurred east of Jumbo Mountain, which is located about 50 kilometres west of Invermere.

An avalanche 150 metres wide ran 300 metres down the mountain, trapping the three men who had been heli-skiing with a private company and guide.

Using beacons, the guide found one man who had also been buried by the avalanche but received non-life threatening injuries. A second man was found only partially buried and the third man was found unresponsive under the snow and debris, police said.

He was flown by helicopter to Invermere Hospital, but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Sgt. Marko Shehovac said in a statement Tuesday that the men were on their sixth run down the mountain that day, and weather conditions were reported to be good.

No names have been released.

Shehovac says friends helped police notify the man's next of kin in Germany, and the coroner's service is now investigating.

The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of the man as Gotz-Thilo Ries, of Karlsehie, Germany.

Prior to the slide, photos were posted on the company's website showing a co-ed group of skiers zig-zagging through fresh powder under sunny skies. The website reported excellent conditions for the group skiing glaciers and trees.

The website said RK, which is based at Panorama Mountain Village just outside Invermere has been in operation for 43 winters.

The Canadian Avalanche Association's forecast for the Purcell Mountains on Monday said the risk was considerable in the alpine and the treeline, and moderate below the treeline.

While there have been dozens of slides in this winter that have involved skiers and other backcountry users, the association reports only one previous fatality in October at a mine surveyor's camp near Stewart, near the Alaska border.

Another man was able to escape the slide and was not hurt.

Avalanche fatalities have decreased sharply since the winter of 2008-2009, when 24 avalanche deaths were recorded in B.C. and Alberta. Nineteen of those fatalities were snowmobilers - eight of them killed in a single incident days after Christmas.

Mary Clayton, spokeswoman for the Canadian Avalanche Centre, said a stable snowpack this year may be one of the factors in the fewer number of avalanche deaths this year.

``The 10-year average in Canada is 14 deaths from avalanches every year. The last three years has been under that and this year there are only two so far. But winter's not over yet.''

With files from Canadian Press

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German heli-skier dies in avalanche in southeastern B.C., two friends survive

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